LeBron James to Return to Miami, Face Heat on Christmas Day 2014

Jun 5, 2014; San Antonio, TX, USA; Miami Heat forward LeBron James (6) reacts after getting injured in the fourth quarter while being helped to the bench against the San Antonio Spurs in game one of the 2014 NBA Finals at AT&T Center. The Spurs beat the Heat 110-95.
REUTERS

LeBron James facing his jilted team on Christmas Day? Leave it to the National Basketball Association (NBA) to take advantage of the one of the major storylines for the upcoming 2014-2015 NBA season: “The King” now with the Cleveland Cavaliers taking on his former team, the Miami Heat in Miami, Florida on December 25, 2014.

According to a report from Miami Heralds’ Barry Jackson, who mentioned an anonymous source within the league, James’ Cavaliers will face his ex-team featuring Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh on Christmas Day “barring an unexpected change of heart by the NBA.”

Jackson added that “the NBA is sensitive to the network’s wishes” and one of the NBA’s carriers, ABC made the request.

The league usually releases the official regular season schedule around the middle of August.

Previous Christmas Days have the league’s superstars meeting each other or a marquee match-up between projected top teams. Some of the recent match-ups have failed to live up to the expectations however.

In 2013, one of the games scheduled was between the Heat and the Los Angeles Lakers supposedly to pit James against Kobe Bryant. The Lakers star did not play and L.A. was outclassed 101-95. James had a so-so outing of 19 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists.

Four other games were scheduled on December 25 last year and three of four games ended up in one-sided wins. The Chicago Bulls beat the Brooklyn Nets, 95-78; the Oklahoma City Thunder destroyed the New York Knicks, 123-94 and the Houston Rockets defeated the San Antonio Spurs, 111-98. The only close game was the last match-up of the day between the Los Angeles Clippers and Golden State Warriors. The latter won, 105-103.

The NBA knows how to treat its fans and on Christmas Day in 2014 the gift will be LeBron James versus the Miami Heat in what would be his first return to Florida since leaving them for the Cleveland Cavaliers.